U.S. Soccer Star Reyna Out 6 Weeks

Published 7:00 pm, Tuesday, January 1, 2002

U.S. soccer captain Claudio Reyna will be sidelined for up to six weeks after bruising his left ankle in Sunderland's 1-1 tie with Aston Villa.

Reyna, who moved to Sunderland from Scotland's Glasgow Rangers last month for $6.3 million, was carried off by stretcher after being tackled from behind by Aston Villa defender Lee Hendrie in the first half of Tuesday's game.

Reyna said medical checks Wednesday determined he had a bone bruise and stretched ligaments in his ankle. While he wasn't expected to play for the United States this month in the CONCAF Gold Cup, the championship of soccer's North and Central American and Caribbean region, the injury could cause him to miss the Americans' exhibition game at Italy on Feb. 13.

"I just had the scan and should be playing again in 3-to-6 weeks," Reyna said. "It was pretty painful and I thought it was worse. It's not as bad as it could have been."

Reyna said he would begin his rehabilitation within the next few days.

"Injuries are part of the game," he said. "I had played five games for Sunderland and was enjoying it, so it will be disappointing to watch from the sidelines, but I hope to be back sooner rather than later."

Sunderland manager Peter Reid said he hoped the midfielder would recover quickly.

"I've had an initial chat with the medical people and they don't think that it's a long-term one," Reid told the Sunderland Echo newspaper. "He's had the best possible medical treatment and his leg was put straight in a sling with an ice pack so hopefully it won't be too much of a problem."

Reyna should be healthy by the time the United States plays an exhibition game at Germany on March 27.